System of automatic block-signaling.



F. TOWNSEND.

' SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNALING.

1 APPLICATION FILED JAIL 26, 1906. 1 16 ?63, Pa fignted. Nov.

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4 sHEBT SAHEET 1.

, 5 ywe n Fo-z F. TOWNSEND.

SYSTEMOF AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNALING.

' APPLICATION IILED JAN.26, 1906.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

4 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

L avwamfoz Q/Vl-h Le ooco WM A 'P. TOWNSEND. SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNALING.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3. -wr- "A Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

APPLICATION PILEDJAN. 26, 1906.

P. TOWNSEND.

SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNALING.

\ APPLICATION FILED JANpZG, 1908.

' Patented Nov. 10, 1 914.

4 SHEETS V flz/yfi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

FITZHUGH TOWNSEND, OF NEW YORK, N. Ya, ASSIGENOR T0 GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPOBATIO N\OE NEW YORK.

SYSTEM or AUTOMATIC smelt-SIGNALING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, Frrznucn TOWNSEND, a citizen of theUnited States residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have inventeda System of Automatic Block-Signaling, of which the following is a s ecification.

Iy invention'relates to a system of automatic signaling applicable to steam or electric railways.

In my prior applications, Serial Nos.

281,538 filed October 5th, 1905, and 290,299 filed December 4th, 1905, I have described a system cit automatic signaling involving the employment of signal controlling devices normally energized by polyphase currents and deenergized by the movements of a motor vehicle into a block section.- In this application I make use of such a signal controlling device, as also various other novel features which serve to improve the system as a whole, such for instance as: (a) A three position relay adapted to control home and distant signals. (.6) An induction device having a movable member, adapted to control the relation of the current phases employed to actuate the relay device em-- ployed. (c) Signaling devices adapted to indicate the condition of two blocks. (0!) A device for preventing the signaling current of one block section from entering an adjacent block section when the insulation of a rail joint is broken.

Figure 1 illustrates my system as embodied in a steam railroad and where the signaling current is derived from a two phase line. Fig. 2 illustrates my system as embodied in asteam railroad, where the sig naling currentis derived from a single phase line. Fig. 3 illustrates my system as embodied in an electric railway employing one .rail as a return for the propulsion current and the signaling current derived from a two phase line. Fig. 4; illustrates my system as embodied in an electric railway employing both rails as a return for the propulsion current and the signaling current derived from a single phase line.

Refer-riot. to the diagrams; 5, 6, indicate the track rails. In Fig. 3, the track rail 6 is shown as continuous; in all the other figures, the track rails are shown as divided into block sections, A, B, C, the rails of each sec tion being insulated from corresponding rails of adjacent sections.

Specification of letters Patent. Patent d No 10 1914, Application filed January 2a, 1906. Serial no. 297,105.

In Figs. 2 and 4, a single phase source S i is employed.

In each of the fourfigures a difference of alternating current potential is created across the rails 5, 6, through the instrumentality of a transformer T, having its primary 7 excited fromone base of the signaling current source, and its secondary 8 connected across the trackway.

P indicates a. source of propulsion current, which is shown as a direct current generator, although, as is now well understood by electricians, an alternating current gen- 'e'rator might be employed without in any wise altering the operation of the system do scribed;

R indicates a signal controlling device or relay, which consists of a stator member 9 having two coils 10 and 11. In Fig; 1, the coil 10 is connected across the trackway and the coil 11 across the secondary of a transformer E, whose primary 13 is connected across one phase of the source of signaling current.

he coil 11 therefore has a current of defi-. nit-e phase and intensity, while the coil 10 carries a current difierin in phase from that of the coil 11, and is adapted to be short circuited by the movements of the car into and out of the block section.

In Fig. 2 the coils 10 and 11 are both connected across the source of signaling current, but a difference of phase is maintained between the currents traversing these coils by means of the reactance device 14 in series with the coil 10 and a resistance device 15 in series with the coil 11. The rotating field due to the coils 10 and 11 is therefore constant in this modification of my invention. Y

In Fig. 3 the coil 10 is connected across a reactance 16, which is in series with a resistance 17, and such reactance and resistance connected across the rails 5,6. The coil 11 is connected across a coil 18 wound on a movable member of a phase controller i K, which-will hereinafter be further dethe winding 18 on a movable member of the phase controller K. r

The relay R is provided with a rotor member 19. In Fi s. 1, 3 and 4' this rotor mem-.

ber consists o a closed circuited coil 20, or as otherwise known, is of the squirrelcage type.

In Fig. 2 the'coil 20 is shown as having opposite points of its winding connecte across the rails 5, 6. Connected to the rotor member 19 is an arm 21,- adapted'in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, when turned to the left, to establish contact between it and the contact block 22, and when turned to-thefri'ght, to establish contact between it andthe contact blocks 23, 24. a

In Fig. 3, two relays R and. R are shown. The relay R has an arm 21", adapted when turned to the left to make contact between it and contact block25, and when turned to the right to make contact between it and contact block 26. The relay R has an arm 21, adapted to make contacts in the same manner as the relayR in the other figures. The relay R in this figure acts as a master relay controlling the motion of the relay R which carries out the functions fulfilled in the other figures by the relay R alone. In Fig. 1 the outer end of the arm 21 is connected to one terminal of a short secondary. 27, which forms part of the main secondary 12 of transformer E. The opposite terminal of this short secondary 27 is connected to one terminal of a traction magnet coil 28, the opposite terminal of which is connected to the contact blocks 22, 24. Situated in this traction coil is a core 29 connected to the upper or home signal arm 31. The tractioncoil 28 will be energized as long as the arm 21 makes contact with either of the contact blocks 22 and 24. This terminal of theshort secondary is also connected to one terminal of the traction magnet coil 32, whose other terminal is connected to the contact block 23. The core, 33, of this coil, is connected to the lower or distant signal arm 34. The traction coil will therefore only be energized when the.

arm21, moving to theright, comes in contactwith'the contact block 23. ,As will be understood, the home signal of any block section indicates the condition of that block section, and the distant signal indicates the condition of the succeeding block section the home signal is shown at clear and the distant signal at danger. This in-.

dicates that the section'A is unoccupied,

Thus in Block A while the section B contains a motor vehicle. In section B both arms are shown at danger, for there is a motor vehicle in section B, and the home signal for this section properly goes to danger. The distant signal also goes to danger, although there is no vehiele in section C. The fact that both signals go to danger underconditions shown, however, makes no difference, as with a vehicle in v section B, the condition of section C is immaterial. In section 0, both si al arms are shown at clear indicating tl t section C, and the succeedingblock sections are both unoccupied. Each block section is energized at the right handend by means .of'the secondary .8 of a transformer T. The polarity of to the home signal 31 and adapted to co-' act with the contact blocks 37, 38,39. In

these figures the arms 35, 36,,are respectively connected to the terminals of thesecondary 37, 3,9, are connected through the conductor 40 to the rail 5 and the contact block 38 through a conductor 41 to the rail 6. It

will be understood that when the arms 35,

exists, and when the arms 35, 36 cover the contacts 38, 39, the opposite polarity exists.

In Fig. 2.no provision is made for reversing the polarity. The arms 35, 36, co-act with contact blocks 37, 38, when the home signal is at danger as shown in block B, but do not make contact when the home signal is at clear as shown in blocks A and C. I

In Fig. 1 the transformer T is shown as designed to'be of poor regulation and for the purpose of limiting the signaling current when the secondary 8 is short circuited by a motor vehicle.

In Fig. 2 there is a reactance 43 in one leg of thesecondary 8 and a variable resistance 44 in the other leg, the purpose of which arrangement is to control the phase of the signaling current supplied to the block sections. ,l p

In Figs. 3 and 4 the resistance 44 alone is shownl It will of course be understood that the requirements as to phase control depend upon the condition of the trackway, etc. In Fig. 3 the relay R, through itsarm 21, is adapted to make contact with contact blocks 25, 26, and the arm 21 of the relay R to make contact with the block 22. The purposeof this arrangement 'is that only one contact shall be made at a time, thus necessitating less torque inthe relay, and consequently less power in the track circuit. The relay R of Fig. 3 has its stator member provided with two coils 50 and 51.

'90 8 of transformer T.= The contact blocksv 36, cover the contacts 37, 38, one polarity The currents for these two coils are furnished from thefield coils of the phase (3011-.

trolle'r K, acting as the windings of apolyphase autotransformer. The stator, member of the phase controller Koonsists of two coils 52 and 53. The coil 52 is connected across one phase of the source of signaling current. The coil 53 is connected across the other phase of the source of signaling current. The coil. 50 of the relay R is connected at one end to the arm 21 of the relay R and at the opposite end to one terminal of the coil 53. The coil -51 is connected across.the upper portion of the coil 52 of the phase controller K, thus normally re-' ce ving a corresponding portion of the voltage impressed upon said coil 52.

The. contact block 25 is connected. to a point on the winding of=the coil 53 of the phase controller K and the contact block 26 is connected to theterminal of a short coil 51 connected at its opposite end to thecoil. 53 and wound in opposite direction to the coil 53. The portion of the coil 53 included between its ends and the point where the conductor leadingyto the contact block 25 is tapped out is of the same length as the coil- 51.

When the arm21kof the; relay R is in contactuwith the block .26, the stator coil 50 of relay R will receive a. current from the coil 54, whereas when the arm 21 is in contact with the block25, the coil 50 will receive. an equal and opposite current derived from the coil 53.

In Figs. 1 and2, I have shown a short conductor 60, introduced between the rail 5 of one block and the opposite rail 6 of an adjacent block and vice Versa. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide for short circuiting the signaling current upon itself in a block section in case the insulation betweenthetrailic rails atthe segregating points between block sections is by any means destroyed. Instead of using such arrangement, I may use that, shown in Figs. 3 allele.

In Fig. 3 there isshown a short section of rail 70 which is insulated from the adjacent sections ofrail. 5.. The short section 70 is connected to the rail 6 through a conductor 71. In practice, this conducting section'TO maybe embodied in the insulating material ofi What is known as the end post, thus con stituting a composite. end post.

In Fig. 4 the conductingsections.70 are shown as of .(liiiereutlength; shortybetween the" sections A; and B and-:long between B and C. In this figure the sections -70 are; located in both rails 5 and 61 and-are con-- nected through a cross conductor or COD:

ductors 7-1. The only difference between the arrangementfshownbetween blocks A cross. conductors 71 are duplicated. The

crossv conductors-71. are connected through conductors 72 to. the central point on the bonds H of adjacent sections. It will be understood that in case of the breaking down of a joint, these short sections and their cross conductor or conductors 71 will serve to short-circuit one-half of the cor responding bond H, thereby lowering the potential across the. stator coil 10, destroying the-torque on the rotor 19 and thus: giving, a danger signal in the blockin which the broken: joint occurs. 5

In Fig. 2 a resistance is shown interposed in the circuit of the coil 20, Wound on the rotor member 19 of the relay B. When a motor vehicle enters a blocksection, the wheels of the-vehicle short circuit the resistance 80, as also the impressed signaling current from the transformer T, thus cutting the signaling current out of the coil 20. It will be observedthat this is done without affecting. the current flowing in the stator coils 10 and 11 of the relay R I of this figure.

I will now describe the operation of my" system. V I A In Fig. 1 the alternating dillerence of potential derived. from, for instance, a transexcites the stator coil 10- (Figi l) and moves the arm 21 of the relay R to the right,es-

former T in blockD (not shown) normally tablishing contact between the blocks 23, -24,

thereby closing the circuit: between the ondar'y- 27 of transformer -E -and the coils 28, 32, which, through their core's 29, 33 move the signal arms31, 34, to the clear position, as shown in block 0. Atjsuch time,"

the arms 35, 36, are incontac't withthe blocks 37,38, thereby closing the circuit of' the secondary8 of transformer T'of block 0"" through the ,coil 10 of block B(Figi 1) Thus, in block C in the absence of a,1car,- both signals are in the clear position When a car enters a block section, as in thesignaling current su. plied. to the reced-' ing block section A. T is reversal o polars, ity causes a reversal of. the direction of rotation of the rotor member- .19 of. the relay 1 R, which causes-the arm 21 to make contact with the'contact block 22: and'oloses the cir- :cuit between the secondary 27' of transformer E, and coil 28, which energizes its coil and attracts its core 29. and holds the-- signal arm 31L (namely,. the home signal) in the clean position. As the coil- 32 at such time is not energized, the. signal which indicates danger position, remains at danger. This indicates to a train about to enter block section'A from'the left,'that sec- 4 tion B is occupied, while section A is clear.-

The operation of .the rotary phase controller'K is as follows: The rotor member cartion of these opposite connections with relation to the coils 52 and 53, and which can be altered by means of the handle 75. It will be understood by electricians that the relay R'- operates more efliciently when there is a certain particular phase relation between the currents in the stator coils l0 and 11, and that such a relation can be obtained by varying the position of the controller arm 75, thus varying the phase of the current supplied to the coil 11. 1

In Fig. 2, the relay coils 10 and 11 are constantly energized from the si al mains connected with the generator Normally, when the track is clear, the rotor coil 20 is in circuit with the resistance 80, through the track rails, and this resistance in the circuit enables the Y relay field to produce a turning moment or torque in the rotor, causing the arm 21 to turn to the right as shown in block C, and moving both home and distant signals into clear position. When a car moves into the block, as in section B, the resistance 80 is short-circuited, destroying the torque upon the rotor of the relay and causing both signals to assume the danger position. In this position the arms 35, 36, of the. home signal engage the contact blocks 38 and 39, connecting the transformer 8 with the rails of block A, and

- causing a current to flow through the relay coil 20 of that block of a phaseto produce a torque in the reverse direction, thus throwing the arm 21 into engagement with contact block 22, the efiect of which is to send the distant signal to danger as previously explained in connection with Fig. 1. InFig. 3, the relay R is of the three-position type, as shown in the other figures, and when it moves to the right or to the left, the relayR assumes corresponding positions. This is accomplished by the reversal of the current in the coil 50 in the relay R depending-uponthe position of the relay B. When the arm 21- makes contact with the contact plate 25, current flows from the co l 53 throughthecoil 50, producing in 0011111110- tion with the current in coil 51 a turning moment in a clockwise direction ofthe rotormember of the relay B. When, however, the

arm2l. makes contact with the contact plate 26, current of an opposite polarity flows from the coil 54 on account of the reverse direction of the winding 54 through the coil unease 50, thus-reversing thetorque of the relay R and causing the arm 21 to move tothe right. When the relay R is deenergized by the presence of a motor vehicle on the block section, the arm 21* makes no contact at all and assumes the intermediate position, thus deenergizing coil 50 and causing the arm 21 of the relay R to assume a corresponding position. 2

' Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a signaling system track circuit, two lines of rails, the physical continuity of each line of rails being interrupted at a proximately opposite points at intervals orming blocks, an insulating body abutting the rear rail 'end and an insulating body abutting the forward rail end at such points and a conducting body situated between the two said insulating bodies, signals, sources of signaling current connected to the rails of the blocks, means to utilize the said current to govern the position of said signals at an end of'the block, a source of propulsion current, a car, means to convey propulsion current to the car, means forming a return path for propulsion current to the source, comprising both rails of the blocks and bonds connected across the rails of the blocks at both ends and a-conductor joining the middle points of adjacent bonds, said bonds being so strongly-inductive to the I ting the ends 0 two adjacent conductors of the trackway to isolate the several track circuits, a conductin body interposed between the two insulatmg bodies, means connected to the conducting body for afi'ording a path .of low electrical resistance between the conductors of the trackwaly upon the formation of'a conducting path t rough the-conducting body from one conductor to an adjacent conductor.

1 3. In a railway signaling system, a trackway composed of conductors formed into a pluralit of closed circuited track circuits,

means or separating the track circuits in-.

terpo'sed between the several track circuits in'each ofthe conductors forming the trackway, each consisting of two insulating bodies abutting the ends of adjacent conductors of the track circuits, an interposed conducting body and a conductor connect- "ing the conducting bodies in opposite lines ofrails. I

4. In a railway signaling system, track.

circuits, a trackway composed of lines of rated by said conducting b0 y, one of said insulating bodies abutting a rear rail and the other'abutting a forward rail of one line of rails, and a conductor attached to said conducting body at one end and attached to the similarly situated conducting body in the other line of rails. v

' 5. In a signaling system for electric railways, a trackway composed of rails, means for separating the trackway into a plurality of closed circuited track circuit 'sections, consisting each of two insulating bodies one abutting a rear rail of the track way the other abutting the adjacent forward rail and a conducting body between them,

interposed at opposite points in the lines of rails, a source of propulsion current, a car, means to convey the propulsion current to the car, and means including both rails and a conductor between adjacent track circuit sections forming a return to the source of propulsion current, an electrical connection from the conducting bodies the conductor between adjacent track circuit sections, signals controlled, by said track circuit sections. I

In testimony whereof, I afiix my slgnature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FITZHUGH TOWNSEND. Witnesses W. H. PUMPHREY, CHARLES D. GREEN. 

